Automatic switch for cigar-lighters



C. F. CUNO.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR CIGAR LIGHTERS, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, I920.

Patented Oct. 19,1920.

Inventor:

. test GUNO, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

CHARLES AUTOMATIC SVTITCH FOR CIGARr-LIGHTERS, 850.

Application filed April 22,

'1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ci-mnniis F. (harm, a citizen of the United States oi America, residing at Meriden, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Automatic Switch for Cigar'Lighters, &c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to the type of device known as an automatic cord winding or drum device.

The main object is to provide a simple and inexpensive but reliable mechanism for automatically turning on the current when the drum is rotated a certain amount and a corresponding length oi? cord has been unwound, and maintaining the current on until all but the same amount or cord is wound up.

In the preferred form of mechanism, one head or disk of the drum or reel has a spiral track, cam, or groove for the circuit closer element and a part of this groove is preterably insulated. In contact with this groove a circuit closer, so that as the drum is rotated the said closer travels from the insulated to the uninsulated portion of the groove and thus turns on the current. hen the drum rotates in the reversed direction, the current is turned off when the contact member reaches the insulated portion of the groove. 7

Figure 1 is a side view and partial section showing the preferred form of device with the switch off.

Fig. 2 is a front view and partial section ofthe cord and current consuming device being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side view showing the current consuming device and cord drawn out and the switch in the on position.

Fig. l is an enlarged sectional view showing the method of engagement between the swinging contact member and a grooved dish of the drum.

The casing 5 or housing which may con veniently be of sheet metal supports a stationary shaft 6, on which is mounted a rotatable insulating hub 7. This hub carries a flanged disk 8 within which is mounted the winding spring 9, which is connected to the drum and a stationary part of the casing or the shaft 6. A spring brush or contact 10 connected to the casing rests on the flange 8.

(3n the opposite end of the hub 7 is mounted a dish 11, the outer face of which is provided with a spiral groove. The spiral Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

Serial No. 375,796.

groove may be formed in any suitable, manner as for instance by cutting the groove Irom solid metal, or bystamping it from sheet metal. A swinging contact member 12 is pivotally supported at 13 and so constructed and arranged as to press toward the disk 11. One end of the spiral groove, in this instance the outer end, is insulated at lit, whereas the inner end is conductive. this insulation may be effected in any suitable manner, as for instance by coating the outer part of the groove with insulating enamel, The end of the contact member 12 s provided with a tooth or tip 15, which hits 1nto the groove as shown in Fig. i.

The current consuming device 16 is provlded with a flexible cord 17, one wire of which is connected to the disk 8, and thus througlrthe brush it) to the casing 5 and the bindmg screw 18, while the other wire is connected to the disk 11, and thus may be connected through the switch arm 12 to the blinding screw 19. Any suitable source of current 20 may be employed.

W hen the parts are in the position shown in F1g. 1, the tip of the contact arm 12 rests in the insulated portion of the groove so that the switch is oil and no current flows through the device 16.. VVhen the device 16 1S pulled out a distance suflicient to rotate the drum untilthe tip of the contact arm 12 reaches the conducting part of the groove, the current is turned on, and it remains on although the current consuming device may be pulled out to the full length of the cord, and the current will not be turned oil until the drum has rotated far enough to bring the tip oi the contact arm on to theinsulating part of the groove. With the construction as shown in the drawings, the current consuming device will be" pulled out several inches before turning on the current, and vice versa when the current consuming de vice is released, the current will be turned oil? when the current consuming device is still several inches away from the drum. It will thus be seen that with this construction, the shape and length of the current consuming device has no efiect upon the-action of the switch. The same switch therefore can be used with different current consuming devices without altering the elfect of action in any way, as the switch is entirely independent ot the current consuming device. Sometimes in devices of this character the drum fails to wind up all of the cord. Y'Vith this invention the current will IlOVQltllGltE-SS be groove, the contact surfaces are kept polished, bright and clean.

I claim:

1. In an automatic switch, a disk having a spiral cam rotatable therewith and having an insulating portion, and a switch member having a projection traveling on said cam of said disk, a current consuming device, a conducting cord connected to said device and wound on said drum.

2. An automatic switch comprising a cord carrying drum, a spiral cam member rotatable therewith and having an insulated portion and a conducting portion, and a contact co-acting with said cam and operated to make and break contact with said conducting portion as the cord is unwound and wound respectively but independently of the cord.

3. In an automatic switch, a winding drum having a spirally grooved contact portion, and a movable contact arm having a tooth traveling in the groove of said contact portion and movable thereby to make and break a circuit.

4. An automatic switch comprising a cord winding drum, a contact member driven by the rotation of said drum and having a spiral cam, and a contact member slidably engaging said cam for turning on the current after a predetermined rotation of the drum has taken place, and turning oil the current when the drum returns to a predetermined position.

5. An automatic switch, comprising a spring driven winding drum for a cord, a make and break contact member carried by said drum and having a conducting portion and an insulating portion, and a contact member normally in contact with the insulating portion of said contact member for opening the circuit when the drum is in its position of rest.

6. An automatic switch, comprising a spring driven winding drum for a cord, a contact member connected to move with said drum and having a conducting portion and an insulating portion, and a contact piece carried by said contact member and normally resting on the insulating portion of said contact member for turning off the current when the drum is in its normal po sition and for turning on the current after a predetermined rotation of said drum.

7. An automatic switch for cigar lighters, etc., comprising a drum, a spiral cam rotatable thereby, and a movable switch member engaging said cam and moved by said cam to make and break a circuit when said drum has been rotated at given distance in one direction or the other.

8. An automatic switch for cigar lighters,etc., comprising a drum, a spiral cam rotatable thereby, and a movable switch member engaging said cam and moved by said cam to make and break a circuit when said drum has been rotated a given distance in one direction or the other, said cam being carried on one end of said drum.

9. In an automatic switch for cigar lighters, etc., a rotatable drum, a spiral cam mounted on one end of said drum, a portion of said cam being adapted to carry current, another portion being insulated, and a movable switch member in contact with said cam and moved thereby, that part of said switch member engaging said cam being suitable to carry current whereby a circuit may be opened and closed through said cam and switch member depending upon what part of the cam is in contact with said switch member.

10. An automatic switch for cigar lighters, etc'., comprising a drum, a spiral cam rotatably mounted upon the end of the drum, and a circuit making and breaking device in contact with said cam for movement thereby, aportion of said cam being insulated whereby when said circuit making and breaking device is in contact with one part of the cam the circuit will be closed, and when in contact with another part of said cam said circuit will be open.

11. In an automatic switch, a rotatable disk having a spiral groove, a portion of said groove being of conducting material, and another portion of non-conducting material, and a movable contact member havmg a portion projecting into said groove to be moved thereby as the disk rotates for making and breaking a circuit.

12. In an automatic switch for cigar lighters, etc., a rotatable drum, a spiral cam rotatable thereby, a movable member engaging said cam and moved thereby, the circuit being roken when said movable member is in one position and being closed when said movable member is in another position;

CHARLES F. CUNO. 

